Abstract: A system for the inspection of a well borehole and the formation around the borehole. The system includes a sealed tubing at the lower end of which is mounted a fiberoptic telemetry module which receives various sensor modules for transmissions of sensed information to the surface. The modular telemetry link and sensor include fluid passageways through which fluid pumped from the surface down the sealed tubing may pass to create a region of optically clear and/or acoustically homogenous fluid in the borehole in the vicinity of the modular telemetry link and sensor. The passage of fluid through the passageways in the modular equipment may also serve to cool the circuits thereof.

Abstract: A safety valve landing nipple selectively provides a pin for closing communication in the bore between the first control line and the safety valve control line so that communication between the first control line and an insert safety valve in the landing nipple housing is achieved by use of a rotary member. A rotary shifting tool is used to rotate the rotary member so that a cam sleeve pushes a poppet pin to form a metal to metal seal with a fitting adaptor connecting the first control line and the safety valve control line so as to provide communication between the surface control line and the internal bore of the landing nipple.

Abstract: A control system for applying power to a solenoid operated valve in a well completion within a borehole. The control system includes a programmable power supply for selectively applying electric power to a solenoid coil of the valve. The control system operates to apply a higher value of current to the solenoid to open the valve and a second lower value of current to maintain the operation of the solenoid in an open state and also to interrupt all current to the solenoid to close the valve. A timer controls the length of time the higher current value can be applied to the solenoid if the valve does not open and the length of delay time which must be included before again attempting to open the valve. The control system continuously monitors the state of actuation of the valve by means of an inductance monitor for determining the position of the armature of the solenoid and, thus, the state of the valve.

Abstract: A system for the inspection of a well borehole and the formation around the borehole. The system includes a pair of concentric reeled tubings for injecting a pair of fluids into a wellbore through a wellhead, one of said fluids being an optically transparent or acoustically homogenous fluid which forms a slug of said fluid around an optical sensor which transmits signals indicative of well conditions to the surface. The other of said fluids is used to perform functions with respect to said sensor such as cooling said sensor or protect it from a corrosive environment. In addition, a fiberoptic cable construction in combination with the reel tubing is also disclosed.

Abstract: A well packer isolation system (10) for use in hostile, corrosive environments is disclosed that comprises packer top sub (20), packer mandrel (22), setting sleeve (24), top slip support (26), slip (28), wedge (30), packer elements (32A, 32B, 32C), packer bottom sub (34), and shear pins (36, 38, 40, 42). As packer system (10) is run into an existing polished bore receptacle (12) using running tool (14), bottom sub (34) no-goes against PBR adapter sub (76). When sufficient setting pressure is exerted on setting sleeve (24) by running tool (14), shear pins (36, 38, 40) are sheared, packer elements (32A, 32B, 32C) are longitudinally compressed and radially expanded, and slip (28) engages inside wall (56) of PBR (12). Running tool (14) is withdrawn after packer system (10) is set by upwardly shearing shear pins (42).

Abstract: A tubing retrievable safety valve, lockout tool and method of use are disclosed that are adapted to lock the valve open permanently and provide access to control line pressure by perforating the piston in the valve. The lockout tool comprises a track mandrel having a ramp slidably disposed beneath a punch that is adapted to penetrate the piston wall of the valve at a point adjacent to the control fluid annulus, thereby creating a protrusion adapted to lock the valve open and establishing fluid communication between the control fluid annulus and the valve bore.

Abstract: A coiled tubing service unit and method for oil and gas wells including a string of components extending above ground in coaxial alignment with said well and including an injector for injecting coiled tubing into the well and a sealing unit for preventing the flow of pressurized oil and gas from the well. The sealing unit is adapted to be disconnected from the string of components and removed from the coaxial alignment to permit a relatively large-diameter tool assembly to be inserted therein. The sealing unit can then be repositioned and connected in the string of components and the coiled tubing can be reinserted into the string, connected to the tool and driven into the well.

Abstract: An improved catcher sub has a longitudinal flow passage and a collet slidably mounted around the flow passage in the sub housing. The collet has a number of fingers and each finger has a resilient seal segment. The collet is held and supported in up fingers contracted position where the resilient seal segments seal on each other forming an annular seal ring smaller than the longitudinal flow passage. When high pressure is applied on a ball sealingly engaging the annular seal ring, the collet is supported in the up contracted position while the pressure moves an annular piston to a position which permits the collet to be moved to a lower expanded position larger than the longitudinal flow passage by a later application of lower pressure on the ball and the ball to be expended downwardly through the collet and sub flow passage.

Abstract: A safety valve landing nipple selectively provides communication between a surface control line and the internal bore of said landing nipple by use of a rotary member. A rotary shifting tool is used to rotate the rotary member so that a cutting means shears the end of a shearable plug in the wall of the landing nipple, so as to provide communication between the surface control line and the internal bore of the landing nipple. A method of providing communication within a landing nipple between the surface control line and the internal bore of the landing nipple by use of the rotary shifting tool and a rotary shifting tool having a rotatable outer mandrel means, an inner mandrel means, a travel means and a diametrically retractable means.

Abstract: A perforating gun is supported from the lower end of a side pocket mandrel. The perforating gun includes a mechanical detonator which is received within the side pocket receptacle bore. The mechanical detonator is actuated in response to striking engagement by a kickover tool. The side pocket mandrel includes a longitudinal production bore which is connected in alignment with a string of production tubing. The perforating gun assembly is run in with the production tubing during initial installation of isolation packers, and the shoot is carried out while the well bore is in an underbalanced pressure condition.

Abstract: A gravel packing assembly which may be utilized in a method to gravel pack a well through the tubing string. The gravel pack assembly includes a crossover assembly which facilitates the pumping of a gravel slurry into a wellbore, and the taking of the fluid return through the tubing string. A gravel pack screen will be coupled in the assembly beneath the crossover assembly to facilitate the conventional placement of the gravel pack. After the placement of gravel in the well, the crossover assembly may be removed from the well, leaving the screen in place with the gravel pack.

Abstract: A sliding sleeve valve useful in a flow conduit to control and vary area of openings open for flow through the valve. The valve has a sleeve having a through flow passage and the sleeve is moveable between open, intermediate and closed positions. When the sleeve is in open position, the area open for flow through the valve is equal to area through the sleeve flow passage. As the sleeve is moved from open position to intermediate positions toward closed position, the area open for flow at each position is reduced to no area open for flow at closed position and conversely. Also disclosed is a pressure operated shifting tool which when lowered into the sleeve valve selectively locates in the valve, engages the sleeve, moves the sleeve upwardly or downwardly between positions and automatically disengages from the sleeve for retrieval. The invertible shifting module in the shifting tool is provided with a positioning sleeve which determines the distance the sleeve is moved when the shifting tool is operated.

Abstract: A straight bore metal-to-metal seal for connecting a tubing string to the mandrel of a well packer has a radially deflectable sealing member compressed between the internal bore surface of a tubular seal receptacle and the tubular body portion of a seal mandrel. The seal receptacle has a radially stepped sealing surface which is engaged by the deflectable sealing member in the operative sealing position. The inside bore of the deflectable sealing member is positively sealed against the outside surface of the seal mandrel by a pair of metal V-rings. A positive seal is also produced by engagement of the deflectable sealing member against the radially stepped bore of the seal receptacle. The deflectable sealing member is loaded by radial compression forces produced as a result of interference engagement of the deflectable sealing member against the radially stepped bore.

Abstract: A blowout safety system particularly preferred for use in providing emergency protection when blowouts occur during snubbing operations due to unexpected surges in downhole pressure. The safety system comprises a spring biased valve assembly having a flapper adapted to seal off the upward flow of well fluids through the wellhead immediately upon expulsion of the well tubulars when a blowout occurs, and a port within the valve assembly for simultaneously diverting the upward flow of well fluids to a location remote from the well when the flapper closes.

Abstract: A downhole, inline well safety shutoff valve has a spring-loaded, normally closed flapper shutoff valve element that may be opened by a downwardly driven movement of an operator tube coaxially and slidably disposed within the tubing string bore. The operator tube is vertically driven by a rod structure disposed in an offset passageway in the safety valve housing and operated by fluid control pressure transmitted thereto from the surface. To substantially preclude undesirable communication in the passageway between pressurized production fluid and pressurized rod control fluid, the rod structure is slidably carried within a specially designed seal structure including a cylindrical sleeve coaxially received in the offset passageway, and a sealing ring captively retained between the top end of the sleeve and an annular ledge formed in the passageway. The sealing ring functions to create a dynamic seal around the rod side surface and a static seal between the ring and the interior passageway surface.

Abstract: An improved running or pulling tool which automatically connects to a lock mandrel when the improved tool dogs are inserted into a lock mandrel fishing neck. The dogs are releasably positioned for automatic connection by lower shear members. The tool is releasably positioned in a configuration for downward jarring by upper shear members. When operating to lock a lock mandrel in or unlock a lock mandrel for retrieval from a well conduit, the improved tool may be jarred repeatedly upwardly or downwardly as required. The improved tool may be disconnected and released from the lock mandrel at any time during locking or unlocking operations by jarring upwardly to shear the upper members followed by downward jarring to shear the lower members. The tool may be operated to release by downward jarring if the tool skirt or core contacts a lock mandrel fishing neck.

Abstract: A wireline retrievable jet cleaning tool (10) comprising an adapter axle (12), a longitudinally extending axle (16), and a nozzle housing (14) rotatably mounted around the axle (16), the nozzle housing having at least two longitudinally spaced-apart nozzle sections (18A, 18B) adapted to sweep jets of cleaning fluid over longitudinally spaced target areas in a well tool or tubular, each nozzle section (18A, 18B) preferably having at least one tangentially directed nozzle (44), at least one radially directed nozzle (48) and at least one obliquely directed nozzle (52). A longitudinally reciprocating jet cleaning tool (60) comprising a rotatable nozzle housing (64) adapted to rotate around and slide longitudinally along a fixed axle (66) responsive to increased fluid pressures is also provided.

Abstract: A cable anchor assembly (16) for an inverted, cable deployed submersible pump (28) that comprises a cable tensioning device (18) adapted to preload the multwire rope members (38) of the power cable (30). The cable tensioning device (18) comprises threaded upper (32), middle (34) and lower (36) sleeves, and the length of the device is manually adjustable by rotating the middle sleeve (34) relative to the upper (32) and lower (36) sleeves to increase or decrease tension on the multiwire rope members (38) of the power cable (30) as desired. The longitudinal bore (42) of the cable tensioning device (18) is adapted to accommodate and protect power delivery members (40) that extend through the bore for connection to the prime mover of the submersible pump.

Abstract: A prepack well screen assembly has a resistance welded outer screen concentrically mounted in radially spaced relation on a perforated mandrel, thereby defining an annulus in which a sintered metal prepack sleeve is loaded. The longitudinal spacing distance between adjacent turns of the outer screen selectively exclude sand fines of a predetermined minimum size. The porosity of the sintered metal prepack sleeve is selected to pass sand fines in the size range of from about 20 microns to about 150 microns. The effective inlet flow area through the sintered metal prepack sleeve is substantially greater than the effective inlet flow area through the outer screen. The sintered metal prepack screen excludes sand fines from inflowing formation fluid during the initial production phase following a gravel pack operation, without limiting production of formation fluid.

Abstract: An electrical cable assembly (10) comprising a cable core (12) and filler layer (16) encased in longitudinally welded reeled tubing (23) so as to restrict relative axial and longitudinal motion between the cable core (12) and reeled tubing (23). Small-diameter tubing (24) is optionally provided as part of the cable core (12) to facilitate the delivery of fluids such as lubricants and corrosion inhibitors to downhole equipment. A method is disclosed for deploying electrical cables in deep wells through use of the subject apparatus.